Turtle Species Get New York Rescue

WCS recently began breeding four endangered turtle species, including the golden coin turtle, at its wildlife parks in New York City. Eventually, the plan is to reintroduce some species to the wild and develop assurance colonies for others. WCS conservationists are also working in the turtles’ native habitats to protect their wild kin.

More than half of the world’s 330 species of freshwater turtles and tortoises face extinction. Habitat loss and illegal trade—largely driven by demand from China, specifically for human consumption, traditional medicines, and the pet trade—are the leading causes of their plight.

To avert the extinction crisis, WCS plans to draws on all of the resources and expertise across the institution, including its Zoos and Aquarium and Global Health and Global Conservation Programs, to take direct responsibility for the continued survival of more than a dozen of the world’s most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles.

An article in the Wall Street Journal profiles WCS’s efforts to rescue these species. A slideshow of the baby turtles that herpetologists are currently rearing at the Bronx Zoo accompanies the story.